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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25029967">A Trickster's Tragedy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/flymetcthemccn/pseuds/flymetcthemccn'>flymetcthemccn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>AU-gust in July [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (2013)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fae, August Writing Challenge, M/M, nick is surprisingly not arrested for child endangerment</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:13:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,882</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25029967</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/flymetcthemccn/pseuds/flymetcthemccn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>( Day 1 of AU-gust in July ) Nick reads a rather damning article in the paper about the kidnapping of the Buchanan's only child. And the culprit is not who it seems. Instead, Nick is thrown into the dangerous world of magic in an effort to help collect his cousin's child.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daisy Buchanan/Tom Buchanan, Nick Carraway/Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>AU-gust in July [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812586</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Trickster's Tragedy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p3">Nick was awoken rather early in the morning, hearing the bell of the paper boy's bike. He sat up with a groan, heading to the front door to grab the morning paper. As he picked it up, he noticed the rather intriguing cover display. <strong>“Small Child from Richest Family of East Egg Kidnapped.”</strong> Like a proper headline should, Nick’s attention was drawn to the article underneath it. It was a rather quick read, but Nick found himself looking for answers.<br/><br/>A picture of the young girl who was kidnapped was provided, possibly for those who were curious and wanted to join the hunt to find her. She looked ... familiar - large blue eyes that looked as if they belonged to a doll, and light blonde hair. The paper was printed in black and white, but it was evident by the lightness of the colors that the features had to be lighter as well. A few quotes were peppered within the article from an interview that the author had with the mother of the child. The mother was obviously in severe distress, claiming that the kidnapping occurred in the middle of the night while she was sleeping. But, something else stuck out to Nick.</p><p class="p3">In one of the quotes, the mother claims, "We woke up to find a young girl sleeping in our bed, but she had brown hair and green eyes. Not at all the appearance of our daughter - we were shocked. Whoever kidnapped our child decided to switch her with someone else's baby!" Nick looked to the picture once more, the picture of the missing child, and immediately tied the loose threads together. It was none other than Pamela Buchanan, the child of Nick's cousin Daisy and that brute Tom Buchanan.</p><p class="p3">While he didn't care for Daisy as much anymore since they had grown apart, he knew that she must be distraught. The male grabbed his landline, which sat by the side of his couch, and immediately dialed Daisy's number. Their butler's voice sounded through the phone, "Buchanan residence, who's speaking?"<br/><br/>"Nick, Nick Carraway. I'm Daisy's cousin, may I speak to her?" Nick asked, twirling the cord of the phone. "Of course. Please hold." The butler stated, before Nick heard nothingness. A few short moments of silence before he heard a sniffle and a feminine voice on the other line, "Nicky! I'm sure you saw the news. Pammy ... she's-" the woman couldn't even finish her sentence before bursting out into quite audible sobs. He couldn't deny the falsity of it all, but had to be there to support her. She was his only family in the surrounding area, after all.</p><p class="p3">"I know, how tragic. Have the cops found any lead on who the culprit might be?" Nick asked suddenly, interrupting his cousin's sobs. Another sniffle. "No, not yet. We've returned the child we were given to the authorities, and they're also trying to find her parents. Oh, my, everything is so terrible." <br/><br/>Nick pursed his lips for a moment, lost in thought. He knew his family back home would appreciate if he could help Daisy - besides, they had been so close as children. He didn't want to betray her, or her family's, trust. "I could help join the hunt? I mean, I'm in West Egg. I could potentially ask Gatsby if he's heard anything."<br/><br/>"Gatsby?" Daisy whispered, almost as if whispering the name of something ethereal, something to be feared. "Oh, that would be lovely, Nicky. I will give you anything you want if you find her!" Nick nodded - he didn't trust Tom at all. If Daisy said it, it meant more, but she would have to go through Tom.</p><p class="p3">Nick ended the phone call with a pleasant goodbye, before going to the door and getting his shoes. If anyone knew anything about what had happened to Pammy, it had to be his elusive neighbor. Nick had known his ties with the mafia after meeting his boss, Meyer Wolfsheim, so if this crime was mafia related, Jay would probably have heard about something.<br/><br/></p><hr/><p class="p3">Nick arrived at Jay's house rather quickly, being that they lived merely ten feet apart. His illustrious mansion practically engulfed Nick's tiny cottage, leaving the house in shadow - he could never sit outside to enjoy the sunshine, simply because there was none. It was all absorbed by Jay's castle. Jay and Nick had become rather close during Nick's time in New York - they had gone for lunch many times since Nick was invited to his first party, and Nick had learned much about the blonde. Every moment they shared together was well looked forward to by Nick.</p><p class="p3">As he stepped upon the doorsteps, he knocked on Jay's gilded doors twice, and waited a few moments. No answer. That was rather strange to Nick - not even a butler to check who was at the door? Nick knocked again, this time a bit louder. </p><p class="p3">Finally, someone came to the door - one of Gatsby's many butlers. "Mr. Gatsby is not accepting visitors right now. Can I take a message for him?" The butler was rather intimidating, incredibly tall and with hardened features. Nick almost swore he could see a scar on the side of the service's face. </p><p class="p3">"I really would like to speak to Mr. Gatsby directly. I have a few questions to ask him about the kidnapping of Pammy Buchanan." Nick stated rather boisterously, inhaling deeply to make himself also appear intimidating. "I'm sorry, I cannot allow you to do that." The butler simply said, "I may take a message. But if I cannot, I must ask you to leave."</p><p class="p3">Nick grew rather flustered. "Leave? What do you mean <em>leave</em>? I <em>need</em> to ask Jay these questions, he's the only person who would know!" The male's arms were pinned at his side, now clenched into fists. The butler remained steadfast, not responding to Nick's frustration.</p><p class="p3">"Fine. Ask him if he has anything to do with it, or knows who does. Because I've been tasked with finding her, and I don't want to let Daisy down." Nick had purposely used Daisy's name, hoping that Gatsby was near and that he would have heard it. He <em>knows</em> that Jay would do anything for Daisy's approval. </p><p class="p3">"Understood. Have a good day, Sir." The butler stated in a rather monotone voice, before closing the gilded door. Once the door was closed, Nick let out his frustration in an angered sigh, storming off of Jay's property. He needed to gather his thoughts, and maybe later in the day, he could return to hopefully get some answers. </p><hr/><p class="p3">To pass some more time, Nick had decided to head into town and to the police station. If anyone had any answers, it would be the cops, since they were studying the case heavily. Especially since this was the child of the <em>Buchanan's</em>. They were easily the richest family in all of East Egg, and with Tom as Pammy's father, the cops would be pressed extra hard. His reputation could not be ruined, especially by something like this.</p><p class="p3">Nick didn't throw the thought away that Tom might've had something to do with this situation. Maybe he sold Pammy for extra money ... no, that had to have been a stretch. <em>Or is it</em>? Nick shook his head at the strange intrusive thoughts, entering the police station. He stared at the receptionist - a younger woman with raven black hair and a purple dress that did nothing to accentuate her figure in any way. </p><p class="p3">"May I help you." She said in a rather nasally voice, to which Nick immediately responded, "I'm a private investigator helping the Buchanan's on their case. Are there any officers I can speak to regarding information?" The receptionist gave Nick a once over, not believing his lie at first. The office was rather cold, so it was only fair that the young woman had some kind of cold. "Sure. I'll send the lead detective out in one moment. Please, take a seat." She gestured with a wave of her arm to a seating area which was rather tiny, a potted plant decorating it with a bit of shade.</p><p class="p3">Nick waited around for about fifteen minutes before a rather burly detective entered through the doors. He had a rather off-putting mustache, his hair slicked to the side. "You're the P.I.?" The detective questioned, to which Nick stood up, holding out his hand. "Yes. The name's ... Daniel Montgomery." The detective gave a quizzical look to Nick, before shrugging, leading the brunette into his office.<br/><br/>"So, what did you need to know?" The detective asked once they were seated at the table. Nick took in a deep breath before speaking - so many questions, and he didn't know how to ask them all in one sitting. And besides that, he didn't know how much time the officer had. <br/><br/>"Do you have any leads?" Nick suddenly asked, definitely without thinking. The detective sighed, "Well, not yet. But we are aware that both partners are seeing other partners, so we are investigating both of them as well. The child that was used to replace the missing Buchanan child was found to have supernatural abilities."<br/><br/>"Supernatural abilities?" Nick immediately questioned, "Of what sort?" "Well, I mean, we're usually quick to discredit that kind of evidence. But the minute she was brought into the police station, she made all of the plants wilt and the water in the water cooler begin to boil. It was too strange to have been just a coincidence." Nick's eyes widened, but he listened intently to the detective's story. "I see. Where is this child now?" The detective seemed to become rather suspicious, wearily answering the next question, "She's been moved to the foster care system while we search for her parents."</p><p class="p3">Nick nodded once again, before standing up, pushing his chair in. "Well, thank you for your time. I don't want to hold you up any longer; duty calls." The detective let out a laugh, "Indeed. Please let us know if you find anything, Mr. Montgomery." Nick laughed, "Will do."</p><p class="p3">As Nick took his leave, he immediately started to blush. Is there any way that Jay ... had something to do with it? No, Jay wouldn't stoop to that level for attention. Unless, his preconceptions were completely wrong. Jay was quite the charmer. <em>No, don't think like that.</em></p><hr/><p class="p3">Nick's wandering had then led him to the foster facility. Inside, various children ran around the front lobby - some playing with each other, others taking time to enjoy solitary activities like reading or playing with blocks. The young girl in question was waiting in the front lobby, reading from a small novel on one of the visitor's chairs. She was covered in  a bright blue dress with white stockings and black Mary-Jane shoes. Nick immediately approached the girl - her hair was rather long, with a flower tucked behind her ear. Her eyes were green, but a different type of green. They were brighter, almost inhuman.</p><p class="p3">"Hi there." Nick smiled at the girl, to which the girl looked up at him with fear in her eyes. She had to have been no older than five, so it was valid for her to be weary of the older man's presence. Especially since "stranger danger" was such a present saying. "You woke up in someone else's bed today, right?"</p><p class="p3">"Yeah. I was put there." The girl said simply, shrugging as she turned her attention back to her book. "Can you read to me?" The little girl asked; the green in her eyes shifted to a brighter pinkish purple color, which Nick couldn't help but furrow his brows at. "In a few minutes I can, sure. i just have a couple of more questions for you." "I can't tell you anything!" The girl almost yelled, covering her ears in a playful way, "The King of the Fae told me not to!" </p><p class="p3">"I'm sorry, the what?" Nick asked, presuming the girl simply had issues distinguishing fantasy from reality, like most kids do. "The King of the Fae! He put me there because he <em>really</em> wanted Pammy for himself." This was all incredibly fascinating, Nick was absorbing the information from this small child like a sponge. Although, with a pinch of salt.</p><p class="p3">"Why did he want Pammy for himself?" He was rather surprised that this little girl knew the name of the girl who was kidnapped. <em>But she could've read a newspaper. She knows how to read.</em> He glanced at the novel in her hands - a rather dense novel for a five year old.</p><p class="p3">"I dunno. I think I heard him saying that he really likes her mom. And my mommy died, so he wanted to give me a home!" The girl smiled, as if that news didn't disturb her. Nick bit the inside of his lip, "I'm sorry to hear that. Do you know the King's real name?" "No, he won't tell us. It's a secret." She placed a finger over her lips.</p><p class="p3">"I've said too much!" The girl screams out, "Don't tell anyone, or else I'll be in big trouble. The King already knows that my new parents didn't accept me. He's scared now." She wiggles around in her seat a bit. Nick furrowed his brows once more, before someone tapped him on the shoulder. An older woman with worn features and a navy blue dress stood above him. "Sir, what are you doing in here?"</p><p class="p3">"Oh, I was just talking to her ... she was telling me a story." Nick tried to cover himself, but the woman was unamused. "I'm sorry, but I must ask you to leave." The little girl looked rather annoyed, pointing her finger at the older lady, "Meanie! He's my friend!" As if on cue, the woman's hair stood up on end, almost reaching the ceiling. Nick looked rather confused, before the girl climbed on Nick's lap, "I wanna help you find the King. I think I might know where he is!"</p><p class="p3">Nick immediately grabbed onto the girl, running out of the foster care facility with her. Her face was lit up with joy, potentially glad that she was out of the rather bleak establishment. As he ran off, he asked in a boasting breath, "What's your name?"</p><p class="p3">"Ella!" The brunette smiled, snuggling her face into Nick's shoulder. She didn't want to look at the army of foster care workers who were chasing after the pair. It took quite a bit of time for Nick to lose them, but they sat safely in an alleyway, both incredibly tired. Ella looked just about ready to fall asleep sitting in Nick's lap, leaned against his chest. The girl pulled out of her pocket a flower, picking off the bottom of it as she sipped the nectar. Nick furrowed his brows, "What is that, Ella?" She smiled, "Honeysuckle! Try!" She gifted him the flower, as Nick took a sip from it. It was sweet yet watery, and somewhat satisfying. Tasting the nectar made him realize that he had forgotten to eat that afternoon.</p><p class="p3">"When we're ready to continue, we need to be careful." Nick warned the little girl, before Ella nodded fiercely, "I know! I look like a human girl, but I'm really-" she paused, moving her tiny head to Nick's ear, "A changeling!"</p><p class="p3">"A changeling?" Nick questioned, "What is that?" Ella seemed almost offended that Nick didn't know, her lips forming into a tiny pout, "Well, we're fairies that nobody wants. So the King of the Fae rehomes us to humans. But our King is new - this is his first time taking a child. He didn't do that great of a job." She playfully stuck her tongue out.</p><p class="p3">"Tell me more about your King." Nick implored, wanting to know whatever he could. This was about saving Pammy, but also sheer curiosity. He had just found out that fae existed, and indeed, he was intrigued.</p><p class="p3">"Well, our King is really nice. He lives in ... uhm, West Egg! In a big castle!" Ella beamed, leaning back into Nick's chest once more. She snuggled up into his powder blue shirt, letting out a tiny yawn, "He throws all of these really big parties. I've never went, but I heard they're really fun. I don't think kids are invited."</p><p class="p3">"Wait-" Nick stopped the changeling, "What did you say? He throws...parties?" That was a rather defining feature about his elusive neighbor. Every night there were incredibly huge parties. And Nick had gotten an invitation to one once, but never went to any more after that one. "I ... might know your King."</p><p class="p3">"You do?" Ella asked with eyes wide in wonder, turning her head up to look at Nick, "Wowie! That's really lucky. Most of us aren't even allowed to see him in person. He's very picky with who he sees."</p><p class="p3">After a few moments of silence, Nick questioned out loud to himself, "Hm. I wonder if he'll see me tonight." When he didn't receive an answer from Ella, he looked down at her, seeing her normally bright green eyes closed in sleep. Nick smiled, running a hand through her soft brown hair, resting his back against the alleyway wall. A few moments of rest would be good, especially for Nick.</p><p class="p3">He had to plan how to confront Gatsby.</p><hr/><p class="p3">Hours had passed with the pair simply slumped against the alleyway, and Ella had woken up at once from a loudly mewling alley cat. Ella smiled at the creature, before looking up at Nick, "Let's go, right!"</p><p class="p3">Nick nodded. During all of the time Ella had been sleeping, Nick was concocting a plan. It still was rather hard for him to believe that his neighbor, one of the only people who was nice to him in this town, could also be leading a double life as King of the Fairies. Let alone, Nick still couldn't even believe that fairies were even <em>real</em>. He let out a sigh, rising from his position as he held Ella tight in his arms. They were a ways away from Jay's mansion, so Nick decided to hail a cab.</p><p class="p3">After a rather discordant - and expensive - cab ride, they arrived at Jay's mansion. Ella let out a yawn, hopping out of Nick's arms. "Come on, slowpoke! You don't wanna be dandelion fuzz!" She squeaked, running through the open gates. Nick ran after the disobedient child, and up to the gates. Ella took the liberty of knocking for him this time, and rather loudly for a child of her stature. Gatsby's butler answered once again, cowering upon seeing the child. "Miss Ella..." the butler stated, before Ella smiled, "We wanna see the King!"</p><p class="p3">The butler looked between Ella and Nick, taking in a sharp inhale. "I...suppose. Come in."</p><p class="p3">Nick and Ella were escorted in by the butler, to which Ella's eyes filled with stars. "Wowie! This place is huge!" She ran around in the massive foyer, flopping at once on the floor. Nick shook his head at Ella's antics, "Come on. We have to save Pammy." "Oh yeah, right." She mumbled, jumping up and tailing Nick as he traveled up the stairs.</p><p class="p3">He wasn't sure where Gatsby was, but he allowed his body to lead him in whatever direction it assumed. Ella was not far behind, trotting behind him as her little Mary-Janes clicked on the steps. He was led to a giant office, where he saw the billionaire staring out of the window. Large light green wings were at the middle of his back, slowly waving in the wind - they appeared in the shape of oak leaves, with points on the end and rather transparent, like the wings of an insect. They faded to a darker green at the tips.</p><p class="p3">"Jay." Nick said at once, to which the billionaire turned around. "Nick." Jay greeted, before his eyes fell to the young girl beside him, "Ella."</p><p class="p3">"We want you to give Pammy back!" Ella yelled out, crossing her arms. Upon hearing the name, a young girl popped her head out from behind the desk, eyes wide and innocent. "Uncle Nicky!" She yelled, trying to run to him, but she was trapped by an invisible barrier surrounding the desk. As Pammy bumped into the barrier, the barrier sparked.</p><p class="p3">"I thought that Daisy would come after her." Jay sighed, almost as if this whole rouse was in vein. Nick furrowed his brows, "You <em>kidnapped</em> Pammy to get <em>attention </em>from Daisy? Jay, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life!" Jay turned around to fully face Nick - his neck was covered in light green markings that resembled vines. Nick could see under Jay's billowy white dress-shirt that they traveled up his arms as well. </p><p class="p3">"Why would you do this, Jay?" Nick asked, surprisingly not angry. Instead, he was confused. "You're-" Tears of frustration finally made their way to Nick's eyes, as he sat down on the floor. Everything was so much to handle, and it was finally hitting him.</p><p class="p3">Jay approached, sitting down beside Nick as he wiped the brunette's tears away. Nick felt incredibly comforted by the action, his eyes lifting momentarily. He couldn't show weakness, not like this. "Nick. I know this must be a lot for you to take in." Nick looked up into Jay's eyes - rather than their usually bright blue color, they were now a dark amber. They glowed with certainty.</p><p class="p3">"Yes, I suppose you could say I took Pammy for attention. But ..." Jay tried to rationalize, looking away from Nick for a moment, "I also wanted to give Ella a home. I trust that Daisy is a good mother. But of course, Daisy was too perceptive. No matter what glamour I gave Ella, Daisy saw right through it."</p><p class="p3">"Glamour?" Nick questioned, before Gatsby nodded, "I put a disguise on Ella to make her appear similar to Pammy. But the glamour must've not been strong enough, and it faded during the night." Nick nodded, soothed by the calm way that Jay was explaining all of these magical properties.</p><p class="p3">Nick glanced over at Ella, to see her and Pammy were playing rather nicely together. Ella was showing her some flowers that she had picked in Gatsby's garden. Jay glanced over as well; through the corner of Nick's eye, he saw Gatsby swipe his hand, and the barrier was removed with a shower of sparks.</p><p class="p3">Nick couldn't let his undetermined feelings get in the way of what was right and what was wrong. As much as he wanted to forgive Jay for everything, he knew, morally, that that was wrong. Jay had done a bad thing. He couldn't let this whole situation be blinded. But by god was Jay rather handsome.</p><p class="p3">Pammy smiled wide, letting out a coo of happiness. "Jay, you know this was ... wrong. Fairy or not, you can't take someone's child." Nick looked up at Jay, to which Jay looked saddened by the realization. "I know."</p><p class="p3">"Daisy and Tom are ready to press charges. You will probably go to jail." Nick added, his eyes sinking down to the floor. He didn't want to see his best friend get jailed for something, especially when half of the issue was to try and give another child a good home. "I know." Jay nodded, sighing. </p><p class="p3">Through the window, Nick could hear the bells of cop cars outside. Jay stood, walking to the window and looking down, letting out a loud sigh. Both of the young girls were interrupted by their playing, surprised at the sound. Jay's wings retracted back into his back, his vine-like markings fading. In almost minutes, cops had raided the mansion, storming up to the office and grabbing onto Jay. Daisy and Tom were right behind them, and Pammy ran into Daisy's arms.</p><p class="p3">As Jay was led away, his head was tucked down into his chest. Nick knew in that moment that Jay would find a way to lessen his sentence, or convince them that he did nothing wrong.  But...Nick didn't even know if he could forgive him for what he had done. Sure, he cared about the male immensely, <em>loved</em> him, but ... he did the most extreme thing possible in an effort to get attention from the person he loved. Daisy, and Pammy, were his family. And even though Jay was trying to give Ella a home, he almost sacrificed another in the process.</p><hr/><p class="p3">It took a long time for Nick to hear anything about Gatsby once again. Ella had been staying with Nick, reading all of the books that she liked. As a changeling, Ella explained that she was gifted with the intelligence of someone beyond her years, and loved to read advanced novels that even Nick had trouble with. And over time, Ella and Nick grew to be a loving family.</p><p class="p3">One morning, Nick had gotten a letter and package from an unknown sender. And it was quite a big package - his mind went to the idea that maybe his family from Minnesota was sending him something, a care package of sorts. He grabbed the package, and an immediately excited Ella had brought over a pair of scissors. He opened up the package to find a massive bouquet of flowers - they were yellow and puffy, gathered between pointed leaves. His brows furrowed, as Ella went in to sniff them.</p><p class="p3">"These are acacia flowers!" She called out, sniffing them once more, "They're the type of flowers that fairies give to their lovers. Wait-" she paused, before looking over to Nick, who had already been reading the letter.</p><p class="p3">"Dearest Nick,</p><p class="p3">"As you read this, I will have been let out of prison. I had struck a plea deal with the officers who imprisoned me, and paid a wealthy sum of money to the Buchanan's for emotional damages. Daisy and Tom won't let me see Pammy, which is acceptable, of course. And Daisy is too fearful of me to see me again, which is rather heartbreaking.</p><p class="p3">"I hope you and Ella are well. I would love to see you all again - please, come over whenever you all feel ready. I would especially love to see you, Nick.</p><p class="p3">"I would like to greatly apologize in person, as doing it in writing does not give justice. By the time you come over, I will have had a lunch all set up for you both.</p><p class="p3">"I expect you all soon.</p><p class="p3">"With warmest love,</p><p class="p3">"Jay Gatsby."</p><p class="p3">Nick felt himself tear up with the letter, as Ella curled up in Nick's lap. Her own wings had grown in - they were a bright purple and blue, and they had appeared in this moment to hug around Nick's body. "I can tell you care about him." Ella mumbled, butting her head into his chest.</p><p class="p3">Nick didn't want to admit these feelings, but he did care for Jay Gatsby, more than just a friend should. Despite Jay being King of the Fae, despite Jay being a bootlegger, despite Jay having needed the attention from Daisy and stooping to the lowest level he possibly could... despite it all. He cared. And it seemed the feeling was mutual.</p><p class="p3">Nick stood up, placing the letter on the coffee table as he ran into his bedroom, calling to Ella, "Get dressed! We're going to Jay's house tonight."</p><hr/><p class="p3">As Nick sat at Gatsby's dinner table, both men at opposite heads and Ella somewhere in the middle, he couldn't help but continue to stare at Jay's wings. The appendages were on full display, fluttering lightly. Jay had been eating the interesting chicken dish that his butlers had crafted, before lifting his head, noticing Nick's stare.</p><p class="p3">"Incredible, aren't they, old sport?" Jay chuckled, glancing behind him to watch his own wings. The green wing accidentally hit into the chair, as Gatsby's lips puckered in distaste. "They are." Nick nodded slowly, moving back to his dinner.</p><p class="p3">Ella's face was messy from the mac and cheese that she was eating - she had thrown a massive tantrum about eating the chicken dish as she didn't like the color of the vegetables. So, in a last ditch effort to please her, Jay ordered his butlers to cook the infamously neutral food that he knew she would enjoy. Nick motioned with his hand for her to wipe her face, and Ella immediately understood, grabbing the napkin and wiping ferociously at her face.</p><p class="p3">Once they had all finished, Jay took the pair out onto the dock. The green light at the end of the bay was shining with its familiar heartbeat-like pattern, and Jay seemed almost absorbed by it, like a moth to a flame. Nick looked down at the waves as they rippled, licking the wood on the dock. Ella had been sitting in between Nick's legs, tiny feet ducked into the water. They stayed in silence for a long while, before Nick was alerted to the presence of something. A creeping hand.</p><p class="p3">Jay's hand had migrated towards Nick's, slowly playing with his palm and fingers. Nick felt a blush heat up his cheeks, keeping his gaze down onto the ocean. "I know, after everything, you most likely don't care for me." Jay stated, his gaze still out on that green light.</p><p class="p3">"I-" Nick was about to interject, before noticing through the corner of his eye that Jay had broken his gaze with the light and was now staring at him. Nick tucked a stray wave behind his ear, "I do care about you, Jay. And I admire you trying to give Ella a home. But in the process to take another human's child..."</p><p class="p3">Jay nodded, "I understand that now. Us fae like to play tricks on humans like this, in an effort to give our young a loving home. But we tend to selfishly care about ourselves without caring about the human children."</p><p class="p3">"What was your plan if Daisy never noticed the glamour?" Nick questioned, honestly intrigued. Did Jay want to turn her into a fairy, or give her away? Or was it solely for attention?</p><p class="p3">"I wanted Daisy to see that I could be a good father to her child. I hoped it wouldn't have been taken the wrong way, but ... it was. And I understand why." Jay explained, his gaze leaving Nick's face and going back to the green light. "I still care about Daisy."</p><p class="p3">At that statement, Nick's heart broke. He pulled his hand away from Jay's, crossing it over his stomach. "Nick," Jay began, to which Nick's cheeks turned red from anger, "What are you doing then, inviting me and Ella to dinner?! You're trying to have your cake and eat it too. And I don't want to be apart of that."</p><p class="p3">"No, no, old sport." Jay let out a breathy sigh which sounded more like a chuckle, "That's not it at all. I care about you immensely. You're the only person in New York who I <em>invited</em>, solely because I want your company. That night ... when everything blew up in smoke - I saw how you looked at me. Even though you knew it was morally a bad choice, you knew I wasn't a bad person. You're the only person who cares about me for ... well, me."</p><p class="p3">Nick felt his breath leave him in that moment, his feeling like he was kicked in the gut slowly subsiding. Nick did care about Gatsby for him and not for his money - he wanted Jay to have just one friend who wanted to be around him rather than feeling like it was a chore, or an escape from something bad. His eyes finally lifted up to Jay's, staring into his golden hued orbs.</p><p class="p3">"I do care about you, Jay." Nick finally admitted, tears beginning to bead at his eyes. <em>No, don't cry.</em> Jay's lips curled into a smile, as he finally interlocked hands with the male. Nick was pleasantly surprised that Ella had stayed quiet through all of this.</p><p class="p3">"I care about you, Nick." Jay stayed smiling, leaning just a tad bit closer. Nick's eyes took on a more innocent appearance, shocked that all of this was happening so quickly. But it wasn't like he minded all that much.</p><p class="p3">They stared at each other for a few moments, before Nick noticed that he had been instinctively leaning his head in. And soon, The King was as well. Their rosebud lips combined, and Nick felt more than just sparks flood through his body - it was like tiny flowers were blooming throughout his chest, like he was sprouting wings of his own and was ready to take flight. His hands needed something stable, so he grabbed onto Jay's shoulders, pulling the taller blonde down. Ella looked up and smiled, her eyes closing in bliss as she curled up against Jay's leg.</p><p class="p3">"Yeah, two dads!" She cheered, as Nick separated, laughing lightly at Ella's sudden voice. "I was surprised you were so quiet for so long." Nick stated, before Ella shared a glance between Nick and Jay, "Well, I had to let the magic happen, didn't I?"</p><p class="p3">Nick rolled his eyes at Ella's playful nature, placing his hand on Jay's chest. The fae's heartbeat was fast. "Would you care to stay the night? I hate to have you all leave so fast." Nick blushed lightly, before Ella beamed, "Sleepover!"</p><p class="p3">Jay laughed, sharing a glance with Nick, "Yes, a sleepover indeed. I'll have the butlers get you tucked into one of the nicest guest rooms." Jay looked into Nick's eyes, and Nick could swear he saw a passionate fire locked behind those amber irises.</p><p class="p3">Ella cheered, running back down the dock and into the house. "Have you cared about me for long, old sport?" Jay asked, before Nick turned dark red once more. "Well, yes. Ever since I met you, I was rather fond of you. But I knew ... you had been trying to win Daisy's heart. So I knew I stood no chance." Jay let out a soft little laugh, beginning to walk back into the house with his hand in Nick's.</p><p class="p3">"How about this. I show you how much I care about you. And then ... you and Ella can stay with me for a few days. Because-" he ran a hand along Nick's arm, causing the brunette to tremble, "I don't want to leave you."</p><p class="p3">Nick nodded rather quickly, not even taking a moment to think. Hell, this could be a spell and could be another elaborate rouse set up by Jay. But ... Nick was comforted by Jay's former words, his realization that the tricks were not funny or well-liked. Maybe ... this was real.</p><p class="p3">The pair headed back into the house, Nick giving Ella a kiss goodnight. Nick was about to make a turn into one of the guest rooms before he was pulled in by the King of the Fae to the master bedroom. "Where do you think you're going?" Jay asked with a seductive laugh, as Nick's breath became caught in his throat.</p><p class="p3">"Sit." The billionaire demanded, and Nick followed immediately - an obedient subject. The King and his Prince. With a breathy sigh, Nick looked up at Jay who was standing above him, wings outstretched. </p><p class="p3">What happened next was saved for the fairytales, but upon awakening in the morning, Nick had noticed Ella snuck into bed with them, lying in the middle of the couple. Both males were naked, but Ella was clad in a tiny lavender nightgown. While Jay and Ella slept, Nick simply watched. </p><p class="p3">
  <em>A happy family.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so this is part of our gatsby discord server's "AU-gust in July" challenge! basically, we are provided a prompt every day and we have to write a drabble/one-shot related to the prompt!</p><p>this story is based on the "fantasy au" prompt for day 1 :)</p><p>i was also heavily inspired by @sea_level to write a more urban fantasy au, so thank you so much for the inspiration! please go check out their au story, it's very well written!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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